1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coupling arrangement, such as a wheel hub/pivot axle arrangement, and to a coupling element with a spur toothing system, such as a wheel hub or a pivot axle.
2. Related Technology
Coupling arrangements are known from the prior art which have, in particular, a wheel hub and a constant velocity rotary joint as coupling elements which are connected fixedly to one another so as to rotate together. For the rotationally fixed connection of the two coupling elements and therefore for the transmission of torque about a common rotational axis, the two coupling elements in each case have a spur toothing system and corresponding toothing system, respectively, which extends axially with regard to the rotational axis, which toothing systems are in engagement with one another. The two coupling elements are braced axially by means of a bracing means, such as a bolt, in order to maintain the rotationally fixed gearwheel connection.
For example, DE 31 16 720 C1 discloses a coupling arrangement of this type, the end side of the constant velocity rotary joint being of disk-shaped configuration and the corresponding face of the wheel hub being configured in such a way that, during mounting, the toothing system first of all bears against the external diameter and only subsequently, as a consequence of elastic deformation, against the end side on the entire tooth flank. An identical refinement to the refinement of DE 31 16 720 C1 is also disclosed by DE 10 2005 054 283 A1.
It has proven disadvantageous in all known coupling arrangements that the toothing system is as a rule not visible during mounting and therefore faulty assembly, in which the teeth of the first coupling element lie precisely on those of the second coupling element, cannot be detected reliably. If, during assembly of the two coupling elements, the teeth are offset with respect to one another in the rotational direction about the rotational axis, the teeth of the two coupling elements slide into one another along the two flanks thereof as a rule and therefore pass into the desired engagement (cf. FIG. 3a). In the case in which the tooth tips of the teeth of the two coupling elements lie precisely opposite one another during installation, they come into contact with one another on the end side and lie on one another tooth on tooth (cf. FIG. 3b). If the coupling elements are braced with one another in this faulty assembly position, they can firstly transmit substantially no torque, and secondly there is the risk that the teeth strike one another because of a lack of a rotationally fixed engagement and, as a result, are destroyed.